Self-stabteb-switch contbol



R. M. CULVER.

SELF STARTER SWITCH CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1918.

Patented July 22, 1919;

T8 6 w u w n UNITED STATES SELF-STABTER-SWITCH CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July22, 1919.

I Application filed November 25, 1918. Serial No. 264,120.

motor vehicles and more particularly to a hand control for operating the usual foot button by means of which the self starter switch is controlled. Numerous accidents have occurred, due to choking the motor on a steep incline and removin the right foot from the service brake peda to operate the self starter switch, without first setting the emergency brake, and in some cases it is necessary to use both the hand and foot brakes to prevent the car from gliding down the incline. Under such condltions, it is a applied.

diflicult matter to operate the self starter foot button and my invention, therefore, aims to provide a hand control for said but ton, provision beingmade, however, for permittmg this button to be operated by the foot when required.

With the foregoin in view, the invention resides in the novel eatures of construction and unique'association 'of arts hereinafter fully described and claimed:

Flgure 1 of theaccompanyin drawings is a perspective view showing 1; e invention g. 2 is a detail section of parts of the machine and the hand control attached thereto. r

In the drawing above briefly described, a portion of an automobile A is shown includin the usual floor F, inclined at its front on the self starter push button S and the instrument board B, the button S being located in'advance of said board. The other parts of the machine are well known, have no connection with the present invention,

and need not, therefore, be described.

Thepresent invention consists of a rod. 1 passing slidably through the instrument board B and provided on its lower end with an enlarged head 2, and onits upper end with an operating knob 3, said head having a socket 4 snugly receiving the foot button S, a set screw or the like 5 being provided to secure. the button in the socket. The knob 3 is located insuch manner as to permit it to be easily operated by hand, and the head 2 preferably joins the rod 1 at a rather abrupt angle, so that by forcing upon said head with the foot, the button S may be operated by foot power when desired.

In some forms of the device, the rod 1 might merely pass through an opening in the instrument board B, but I prefer to secure a circular guide plate 6 to the rear side of said board and a socketed guide 7 to the front side thereof, the knob 3 being provided with a stem 8 passing slidably through the central opening of the plate 6 and received for movement in the socket of the guide 7. If it is found, on some types of machines, that a sprin is necessary to return the rod 1 to its initial position, such a spring could well be located in the socket of the guide 7, but inmost instances, the usual returnin spring of the self starter button S is all t at is required.

By constructing and arranging the invention as or substantially as disclosed it will be simple and inexpensive, yet highly efli- .cient and in every-way deslrable, serving to prevent such occurrences as those previously related.

Since probabl the best results are obtained from the etails shown and described, they may well be followed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed considerable latitude is'allowed for making numerous minor changes which may be required in adapting the device to different machines.

I claim:

The combination with an automobile instrument board and a self starter control button'in the floor of the machine in advance of said instrument board; of a hand control rod passing slidably through said instrument board and having on its u per end an operating knob, an enlarged ead on the lower end of said rod having a socket receiving said control button, and means for securing said button in said socket. A

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 

